MichaelW
Well-known member
- Build Rating
This has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of weeks. I kept missing a particular value component (some obtuse value caps like 1n2)
so I'd have to wait for my next order of components, I did this a couple of times then kinda forgot about the pedal and built a bunch of other stuff.
Well, I finally started it yesterday, was up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep so decided to brew a pot of coffee and finish the build.
Really glad I came back to this. It was not what I expected (in a good way). There is a TON of gain in this pedal and a LOT of different sounds to be had.
I love the available faceplate too. Gives the pedal a nice finished look and not unlike the original Ethos pedal.
I've always been intrigued by the Ken Fischer Trainwreck designs. I've never played through a real Ken Fischer but have played the Dr. Z Z-Wreck amps as well as the Fuchs Train. I also use the Fuchs Train II Unison Amp model in my UAD Apollo rig. As much as I love the sound of his stuff, the "Wreck" style amps seem to be better suited to a cleaner and more technically proficient player (I'm thinking Brad Paisley). They feel a bit unforgiving for sloppy players like me
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When Ethos released the TWE-1 pedal a few years back it was a bit of a "ho-hum" for me. I had the Overdrive Special pre-amp from Ethos and never really liked it, too many knobs and too fiddly for me. Sat on the shelf for years until I recently sold it. The Derailer build for me was really more out of curiosity than anything else.
Still too many switches for my tastes (hahah) but I was floored by the overtones that seem to just jump out of this pedal even at moderate gain levels. I don't know if the Ethos TWE-1 does this but for sure the PedalPCB Derailer is a phenomenal circuit. Way more gain than I am likely to ever use but I'm still messing with it and learning how to use it. This pedal definitely captures that Ken Fischer vibe with the very rich (almost overly rich) harmonic content it produces. Almost feels like I'm using a harmonizer at some gain levels. Fun build, lotsa parts compared to the last few drive pedals I've built. Very gratifying that it fired right up first time I plugged it in. (And I did NOT wire the I/o jacks backwards as I have a habit of doing hahah).
so I'd have to wait for my next order of components, I did this a couple of times then kinda forgot about the pedal and built a bunch of other stuff.
Well, I finally started it yesterday, was up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep so decided to brew a pot of coffee and finish the build.
Really glad I came back to this. It was not what I expected (in a good way). There is a TON of gain in this pedal and a LOT of different sounds to be had.
I love the available faceplate too. Gives the pedal a nice finished look and not unlike the original Ethos pedal.
I've always been intrigued by the Ken Fischer Trainwreck designs. I've never played through a real Ken Fischer but have played the Dr. Z Z-Wreck amps as well as the Fuchs Train. I also use the Fuchs Train II Unison Amp model in my UAD Apollo rig. As much as I love the sound of his stuff, the "Wreck" style amps seem to be better suited to a cleaner and more technically proficient player (I'm thinking Brad Paisley). They feel a bit unforgiving for sloppy players like me
.When Ethos released the TWE-1 pedal a few years back it was a bit of a "ho-hum" for me. I had the Overdrive Special pre-amp from Ethos and never really liked it, too many knobs and too fiddly for me. Sat on the shelf for years until I recently sold it. The Derailer build for me was really more out of curiosity than anything else.
Still too many switches for my tastes (hahah) but I was floored by the overtones that seem to just jump out of this pedal even at moderate gain levels. I don't know if the Ethos TWE-1 does this but for sure the PedalPCB Derailer is a phenomenal circuit. Way more gain than I am likely to ever use but I'm still messing with it and learning how to use it. This pedal definitely captures that Ken Fischer vibe with the very rich (almost overly rich) harmonic content it produces. Almost feels like I'm using a harmonizer at some gain levels. Fun build, lotsa parts compared to the last few drive pedals I've built. Very gratifying that it fired right up first time I plugged it in. (And I did NOT wire the I/o jacks backwards as I have a habit of doing hahah).
